Hematodepressive Virus Diseases of Thailand

Abstract

In 1951, an acute febrile hemorrhagic disease with high mortality was recognized to occur sporadically in the vicinity of Bangkok, Thailand. The condition was originally considered to be a severe viral influenza characterized by shock or thrombocytopenic purpura, or both (1), but influenza virus was not isolated from these patients. Recurrent episodes in the Philippines of a disease with hemorrhagic phenomena were described in 1953 by Stransky and Dacanay (2). In 1954, epidemics of a similar disease occurred in Manila and in Bangkok. The disease was tentatively named Philippine hemorrhagic fever and subsequently Thai hemorrhagic fever to distinguish it from